Eunuchs audition for national beauty pageant For once,they were in the bridal finery and others were clapping. The aptly chosen venue,a marriage hall in Indira Nagar,was where auditions were held on Sunday to pick finalists as they sashayed down the ramp for Nazaaqat an all-India pageant for eunuchs to crown the most gorgeous kinnar in the grand finale in Goa in February. Reaching Lucknow,which is among 10 cities where the audition is taking place,were candidates from across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. We have a strong network and in constant touch with each other,so word spread fast, said Payal,a eunuch who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow in 2002,challenging BJP stalwart Lalji Tandon and who was one of the judges on the panel. We are looking for beauty. But the candidate could also score a point for grace and confidence, said Payal. We made an announcement of this first-ever beauty pageant for Kinnars in Mumbai on December 23 and the response to the call was encouraging, said Satyendra Kumar Mishra,one of the organizers,who has conceived the show. Well shortlist five candidates for the semi-final round to be held in New Delhi next month. The organizers V Care FM International of Mumbai is the social service wing of a group involved in real estate and a host of other activities. Theatre personality Urmil Thapaliyal was the other judge for the audition and the questions that were shot at the participants,as they catwalked one by one were pointblank. I am ok with my gender (sic) and wouldnt want to be a woman or man in another birth, said Muskan,when asked how tough it was to be a hermaphrodite. The others were equally forthcoming and expressed hope to be part of such pageants at the level of Miss Universe and Miss World,besides wanting to establish a business or take a shot at social work. Anything that gives them social tolerance,at least,if not absolute acceptance,is their prime aspiration.
